The invention is in the field of cosmetic composition for application to skin.
Oil and sebaceous secretions protect facial skin against moisture loss by forming a superficial film on the skin surface that locks in skin moisture. In general, reduced oil secretion causes dry skin and excessive oil secretion causes oily skin. Ideally the skin should be balanced, which means that the skin should secrete exactly the correct amount of oil to keep the skin hydrated and smooth, but not enough oil to give the undesirable shiny appearance or promote blemish formation. Since facial skin is rarely perfect, cosmetic manufacturers must formulate their products to ameliorate less than perfect skin types.
One particularly undesirable feature of oily skin is the resulting shine that quickly appears on the skin surface as oil is secreted by the skin. Shiny skin looks greasy. It also tends to show more imperfections than skin that exhibits a matte surface. One standard method of treating shiny, oily skin is to apply cosmetics that contain various types of particulate absorbent agents. One example of such a product is xe2x80x9cCornsilkxe2x80x9d a commercial loose powder. When the powder is applied to oily skin the various types of particulates absorb excess skin oil and matte the skin. One problem with Cornsilk and other products containing oil-absorbing particulates is that the particulates cake or streak in addition to providing a mask-like effect when the application is too heavy. In addition, layers of oil-laden particulates on the skin can clog skin pores and promote blemish formation.
Another approach to counteracting oily skin is found in the so-called xe2x80x9coil-freexe2x80x9d cosmetic formula. The idea behind these products is not to aggravate the oily condition by adding oils to the cosmetic the user will apply to skin that already secretes too much oil. Low viscosity silicone oils, which tend to flash off fairly soon after the cosmetic is applied to the skin, are typically used in these formulas. One problem with xe2x80x9coil-freexe2x80x9d formulas is that they do nothing to ameliorate the effects of excessive oil. Nor do such formulas do anything to minimize the undesirable shiny appearance of oily skin.
Clearly there is a need for anhydrous products that are capable of reducing the undesirable shiny appearance of skin having excessive oil on its surface, without overly matting the skin with absorbents that give a cakey, made-up look.
Most unexpectedly, it has been discovered that anhydrous cosmetics formulated with mushroom extract are excellent for use on all skin types including oily skins. Such cosmetics are able to reduce the shiny appearance of skin and thereby aid in cosmetically improving the appearance of skin imperfections such as blemishes, wrinkles, and fine lines. At the same time these formulas do not provide the heavy made-up look that is often seen in compositions containing oil-blotting absorbent powders.
It is an object of the invention to provide an anhydrous cosmetic composition for reducing the shiny appearance of skin having excess oil on its surface.
It is further object of the invention to provide an anhydrous cosmetic formula for cosmetically improving the appearance of skin imperfections such as fine lines, wrinkles, and blemishes.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a pigmented anhydrous powder-type makeup for ameliorating the adverse effects of oily skin.
The invention comprises an anhydrous pigmented cosmetic composition for reducing the shiny appearance of skin and cosmetically improving the appearance of skin imperfections, comprising a cosmetically effective amount of mushroom powder.
The invention also comprises a method for reducing the shiny appearance of skin and cosmetically improving the appearance of skin imperfections, comprising applying to the skin an anhydrous pigmented cosmetic composition comprising a cosmetically effective amount of mushroom powder.
The cosmetic composition and method of the invention is suitable for use on dry, normal, oily, or combination skin types. The resulting composition and method reduces the shiny appearance of oily skin and cosmetically improves the appearance of skin imperfections such as wrinkles, fine lines, and blemishes. The applied cosmetic provides a smooth, natural finish on skin.